A 35-year-old man has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years after raping a woman while she slept on a couch following a night out. Graeme Gate sexually assaulted the victim at a house in Inverness on 23 August 2025, a crime the court described as predatory and committed against a highly vulnerable stranger. According to BBC News, Gate pleaded guilty to the rape charge last month and was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.
Lord Arthurson, the presiding judge, emphasised the severity of the offence during sentencing.
This was a predatory offence of sexual violence upon a highly vulnerable young woman who was entirely unknown to you. I have read the impact statement prepared by [the woman] - it is highly articulate and captures what is the severe trauma of her experience of this appalling crime. The damage caused by you has been devastating and is enduring.Gate's sentence was reduced from 10 years to seven-and-a-half years as a result of his guilty plea. He had previously accumulated multiple convictions.
The circumstances leading to the assault emerged during court proceedings. The victim and her friend had visited the house before heading into the city centre for an evening out. Gate, who is from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, and another man were present at the property. Gate joined the woman and her friend in a taxi to travel to several bars in the city.
Later that night, the woman and Gate returned to the house without her friend. The court heard that the victim had consumed alcohol and subsequently fell asleep on the couch. She awoke to discover Gate sexually assaulting her and immediately screamed at him, demanding to know what he was doing. The other man who had remained at the house heard her shout and came into the room, finding Gate with what was described as a shocked expression on his face while he protested his innocence.
Following the assault, the victim contacted Gate through social media to express the profound impact of his actions.
He made her feel disgusting, dirty and worthlessand she informed him she intended to report the incident to police. Despite the victim's account and the evidence presented, Gate initially denied any sexual contact had occurred.
Declan O'Keefe, Gate's defence advocate, acknowledged the severity of his client's behaviour during the sentencing hearing. The advocate stated that
Graeme Gate's impulsive behaviour will have a devastating impact on [the woman] for the rest of her life.O'Keefe also characterised Gate's conduct as a
significant understatementto suggest he had
massively misreadany apparent interaction with the victim before the assault occurred.
In addition to his custodial sentence, Gate was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and issued with a ban preventing him from approaching or contacting the woman, also for an indefinite period. These measures reflect the court's assessment of the ongoing risk he poses and the need to protect the victim from further harm.
